Here's the Thing
by Narichards
Summary: James is forced into going to a charity ball, but accidentally told his Aunt that he had a girlfriend. Lily steps into help.


"Here's the thing," Lily said, sliding onto a stool at the counter. She was in Sirius and James' kitchen, in their larger than necessary apartment, meaning it had two bathrooms. "I'm broke."

James rolled his eyes and tossed a grape in his mouth. "We know Evans, that's why you eat all our food. There's nothing at your place except leftover takeouts that you take from us."

Sirius cracked a can of soda and moved to the living room, flipping on the tv. "Ok, but Marlene told me about this couple study program

"So Lily, here's the thing," James said, tossing a handful of chips in his mouth. Lily sighed but didn't look up from her book. She was sitting in the Gryffindor common room, working on one of McGonagall's crazy hard NEWT essays, struggling, and didn't want to be interrupted. He, of course, had finished the essay two nights ago after minimal research, and she just knew he was going to get full marks while she would scrape an 'A'. Typical James Potter.

Sirius plopped down on the couch next to her, jostling her arm and spilling ink all over the paper. Groaning, she pulled her wand out, mopped up the mess and then turned to James.

"What's up?"

"Mum's having a Charity Ball next Saturday. It's a hogsmeade weekend anyway, so it'd be easy to get away." He paused a ran a hand through his hair sheepishly. "But I accidentally told her I had a date."

"How do you accidentally tell your mum you have a nonexistent date?" Lily asked, eyebrows raised.

Sirius snorted next to her, and slung his arm over the back of the couch. "She's been around since summer time, apparently."

James winced. "Great Aunt Darcy has been bothering me about getting married for years - years, Evans - and I got so tired of it that I finally just said I had a bird. Sirius begged out of it, but since I skipped out last time…"

Lily raised her eyebrows again. "So you want me to go and pretend I'm your girlfriend for a few hours?"

"Basically, yeah." He moved to stand in front of her so that she wasn't twisted around. "I asked Marlene, but she's going on a date with Diggory again, and Dorcas won't wear a dress. It's kind of a formal thing, so you need a dress."

Lily groaned once again. She knew this wasn't a good idea - Lately, James had somehow been making her nervous, even when they were just doing head duties together. It's not like she was in love with him or anything - but, she couldn't help but notice when he came back from quidditch practice, if his shirt was sticking to his chest from sweat, or if his hair was even more tousled than usual, and she couldn't help if her mind wandered to it later. That was natural, right?. "Fine, but after this, you have to tell your Great Aunt Darcy that we broke up, alright? And you owe me big." She stood, gathering her things and headed for her dormitory.

Saturday arrived. Lily had dug up the hideous formal dress she had worn to Petunia's wedding, and with Marlene's help, transformed the dress into something with a slimer, less ugly fit. It had originally been pink with puffy sleeves, a flared waist and bows everywhere. They changed it to dark green, cut-away the sleeves entirely into thin straps and a v-neck neckline, and stripped it of the bows. A long slit along the side, created by Marlene, and a pair of black heels helped show off her long, slim legs. She straightened her hair a bit and put on light makeup, but other than that, left it alone.

Hoping she was dressed appropriately, she threw a hogwarts cloak around her shoulders and walked down the stairs. James was waiting at the bottom, just before the common room entrance, similarly wrapped in a hogwarts cloak, but underneath she could see he was wearing polished black dress robes. He grinned at her as she walked down, and her stomach did a somersault at his smile.

"I clean up good don't I Evans?" James said, extending his arm for her. She laughed and swatted at his arm. 'We aren't there yet, Potter." Then she frowned. "How exactly are we getting past everyone in this getup?"

James smiled broadly and removed a bundle of silvery cloth from his robes. He winked at her and then threw it around the both of them. Instantly, her feet disappeared and she let out a surprised shout.

"You have an invisibility cloak?" She exclaimed. "I can't believe I never realized this was how you got around. You four are too good at keeping secrets."

James glanced over her shoulder, shushing her and pressing her up against the wall as a chattering pair of fourth years sauntered down the stairs. He was pressed tightly against her, and her breath quickened. She swallowed hard as he grabbed her hand once they passed and said, "Family heirloom. Lucky me, huh?"

Lily grinned, amazed. James pulled her out into the common room, ducking to keep the cloth covering their feet. They slipped past the mostly empty room, out the door and down the hallways. They made it out of the castle and into hogwarts before they finally spoke, far enough away to avoid raising suspicion.

It was just barely sunset as they made it to Hogsmeade, and then apparated to his house. They touched just outside two metal gates onto a gravel road, and Lily's jaw dropped. She knew Potter was rich, but this was something else. A grey mansion - castle, really - sat on a huge grass lawn, with four pillars in front. There had to be at least fifty windows just on the front side, and she could see even more along the side. She was suddenly very glad she had seriously fixed up her dress.

James looked at her sheepishly as she turned to him, running a hand through his hair. She punched his shoulder. "James! Why didn't you warn me?"

James blushed, ducking his head. "Sorry I just - Dad invented sleakeazy - you know that hair gel stuff?" Lily nodded, surprised that she hadn't known that. For all Potter bragged, he had never mentioned that he was loaded.

It took them a solid five minutes to walk to the front of the house. The front doors were open, and music spilled out onto the lawn. Two guards approached them, checking for identification, and then let them proceed into the house. James helped her out of her cloak and hung them on a coat rack. He whistled as she fixed her dress, smoothing out the wrinkles, and she blushed. "Damn Evans, you clean up even better than I do."

Two large banisters sat on either side of the house, leading to rooms upstairs, but James took her arm and lead her down the middle and to the right, into a large ballroom, complete with a live orchestra, food, drinks, and tables along the back.

An older couple appeared moments later, and James grabbed them both into a tight hug. "Uh, Lily, meet my mum and dad."

"Lily! We've heard so much about you!" His mum immediately pulled her into a hug, and James blushed behind her back.

"James has told me lots of good things about you too, Mrs. Potter," Lily said, smiling. When Euphemia turned away, Lily mouthed "Heard a lot about me?", and he rolled his eyes. It was easy to like this infectious woman, and she could tell where James got his enthusiasm. "Please, call me Euphemia, dear." Lily shook Fleamont, his dad's hand, and then they bustled off to meet more guests.

More people came and introduced themselves to James and Lily, exclaiming about what a cute couple they made. James slipped into the rich, polished talk easily, although still cracking his usual jokes, while Lily felt herself grow smaller as the night went on, letting James do the talking. His hand hovered around her constantly, sometimes settled lightly on the small of his back, sometimes around her shoulders.

When they finally caught a break, James grabbed them drinks and led her over to a table far at the back, touching her back gently. "Everything ok?"

Lily forced a smile on her face. Honestly, it shouldn't matter that James almost had a different persona while they were here. He had grown up in money, and he could talk like it. Lily had grown in Cokeworth, where her parents had worked in factories, forgoing meals to send them to school. It's only a night, Lily told herself.

"I'm fine," she said quickly, but she could tell James didn't really believe her. "We should probably act more like a couple. I think we're the only people younger than fifty here, gotta give them something to gossip about, right?"

He smirked. "Missing my company?" Lily winked, twisting so that her chair was closer to his, and she leaned in close to him, both of them turning up the charm simultaneously. He wrapped an arm around her casually, making sparks dance along her bare shoulders, and her heartbeat quickened. She swallowed hard. Maybe suggesting that had been a bad idea.

They stayed there for a few minutes, chatting about hogwarts, friends, and whether or not the Puddlemere United or the Wimbourne Wasps would win the tournament next saturday. Lily was strongly rooting for the Wasps, while James was a strong supporter of Puddlemere since birth.

Finally, Lily squeezed his hand excused herself to the washroom. Touching James for so long had made her cheeks turn bright red, and she had only drunk one glass of champagne. She walked out of the ballroom, her heels clicking lightly against the marble floor, and realized she didn't know where to go. She turned left and walked along the spacious room, checking in open rooms for a bathroom.

At least five minutes had passed before she found one. Her hair was a little frizzy, and her cheeks were still red, so she waved her wand quickly to clean up. She stowed her wand back in her purse, and moved to the door when she heard her name whispered just outside the bathroom. She stopped in her tracks, and pulled her wand back out quietly, and listened. Two ladies were talking just outside the bathroom in furious whispers.

"Lily Evans? The tramp that Fleamont's son has on his arm?" One said. Lily could see her shadow on the wall. She was a short, plump lady wearing a feathered hat. The other was shaped like an hourglass - so much so that Lily wondered if that was natural.

"She's barely wearing enough for a swimsuit! And… I heard that-" her voice dropped even lower, and Lily had to strain to hear. "- Her parents aren't wizards."

"You mean she's a -" Lily could see the shadow nodding dramatically, and then heard a gasp. She took a step back. Her heart felt heavy, and she could feel tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. Taking a shaky breath, she squared her shoulders and walked out of the bathroom.

The two ladies fell silent as Lily walked between them, seemingly unashamed that they had been heard. A few steps past them, she could hear them whisper frantically again. Hoping it was an isolated incident, she made her way back through the hallways, throngs of people, and found James talking with Sirius, who had just arrived.

She grabbed a small plate of food and settled in between James and Sirius, pressing a light kiss on his cheek. James gave her an odd look. "Are you alright?"

Lily pretended she didn't know what he was talking about, determined to not let a couple of pureblood supremacists bother her. She smiled brightly and offered him food, knowing he could never turn it down. It distracted him for a few minutes until it was gone, and James leaned over and kissed the the top of her head quickly. He stood up, straightening his suit, and offered a hand to Lily. "Dance with me?" Lily set her purse down and nodded, and flashed a bright smile. He looked good in dress robes, how have I not noticed before? She wondered briefly, but pushed the thoughts out of her head as her cheeks turned red again.

They moved through groups of people until they reached the middle of the dance floor. He settled is hands on her lower back as a slower song turned on, and she slid her hands up his toned shoulders and leaned her head against his shoulder. They danced in silence for a minute, which was unusual. Ever since they had become head boy and girl, they had found it easy to get along. But now, Lily was at a loss for words. Things seemed icy between them, and she wasn't sure why.

The song finished and Lily pulled away, lacing her arm through James', moving toward the exit. As they moved back through the crowd, there was a tap on her shoulder, and she turned. The two ladies from the bathroom, along with two older men, stood behind her, each wearing tight, polite smiles. Lily nodded at them, ice in her eyes.

"Hello Mrs. Farraday and Mrs. Wright," James said. He nodded at the two men, who nodded stiffly back. Lily glanced at him to see how well he knew them, but he gave no hints away.

"James, dear, we were just talking the other day -" Mrs. Farraday began, waving a gloved hand in the air. "-with Euphemia about how excited we were that you would be graduating Hogwarts this year."

"We are a little concerned, however, that you may be choosing the wrong sort of friends," Mrs. Wright said. James stiffened next to her, and Lily tried to slide her hand out of his, but he held on firmly. We welcome everyone of course, but dating a mudblood is out of -"

Lily's jaw dropped, and then snapped shut with an audible click. James dropped her hand and her heart sunk in her chest. She stood her ground, but her smile slipped and she could feel her eyes start to water. She tossed her hair over her shoulder, crossed her arms, preparing to defend herself to James and the two ladies, but James spoke first.

"My girlfriend, Lily Evans, is more of a witch than either of you ever were." He shoved his hands angrily in his pockets, speaking loudly. "She has seven outstanding O.W.L.s, a incredibly ingenious brain, and a heart bigger than anyone is this room. Who her parents are shouldn't - doesn't matter - and if you don't accept that, you can leave. Right now."

He reached out and grabbed Lily's shaking hand, and pulled her away, leaving the two stuttering women behind. They wove through the crowd, Lily holding tight to James hand, keeping her anchored to the ground. They slipped out of the ballroom, neither saying anything until James led them a flight of stairs, down a long hallway, and into a large bedroom.

The room was covered with quidditch posters, gryffindor banners, Light Secrecy band posters, and various books scattered throughout the room. Once in the room, James closed the door behind them, letting go of her hand. He thrust a hand through his hair and blew out his breath. "Lily I - I had no idea that would happen. Mum and dad don't agree - they aren't pureblood supremacists - I'm so sorry."

Lily was standing in the middle of the room, looking around, while James paced back and forth. The lighting was dark, light mainly filtering in through the window from the moon. "Is this your room?"

"Yeah. Lily -" James stopped abruptly, watching her carefully. She took off her heels and sat on his bed, then laid down, letting her hair fan out behind her. James moved so that he was sitting next to her, hip just barely brushing her exposed thigh. She'd stopped shaking with anger now that she was away from the crowd because she could think more clearly, although James close proximity wasn't helping.

"I heard them talking in the bathroom," Lily said. "Don't blame yourself James, I'm honestly used to it."

He threw himself down next to her, and she could feel shivers run up her arm. "But… you shouldn't have to get used to it. It's… It's so bloody wrong, and I can't do anything about it. They said it right to your face Lily, how can you -"

Lily propped herself up on her elbow so that she was leaning over him, eyes made of steel. "James, I'm fine. You're fine. You have amazing parents, an amazing house. You don't need to worry about me."

She could see him bite his lip in the darkness, and she had to tear her eyes away so she wouldn't lean down and see just how soft they actually were. Lily laid back down, looking up at the ceiling. James found her hand in the darkness, threading his fingers through hers. They were quiet for a minute, each lost in their own thoughts.

James turned so that he was leaning over her. "Are you sure you're ok?"

Lily nodded, sitting up. "Yeah. Do we need to go back to the party? I think -"

"Nah, they didn't expect me to stay the entire time anyway." He bit his lip, and Lily had to fight back a groan. "Besides, I don't think I could take much more."

Lily turned to look at him, confused. "What?"

James used his arm to cover his face but continued speaking. "You look amazing Evans."

Lily's breath hitched, but she didn't say anything. He propped himself up on his elbows, still not looking at her, but she could see a faint smirk on his lips. "You couldn't keep your hands off me."

Lily swatted his arm, tucking her knee under her. "It was for the act, piss off James. You're the one who wanted to be my boyfriend for the night."

He shot up suddenly, putting his hands on either side of the bed so that his face was inches away from hers. Lily forced herself to stay calm. "I can't be the only one who thought that… maybe I didn't want it just for tonight."

Lily shook her head, still in denial about what she wanted. But it was getting harder and harder to supress it as James reached up and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, brushing her cheek with his fingertips. He smirked as she shivered, then leaned closer to her.

She had no idea what possessed her to do it, but she leaned forward, pulling him by his tie, and kissed him. There was no hesitation on his end, meeting her lips with equal passion and enthusiasm. He moved his hands from the sides to slide up her dress and settle one on her bare shoulder, fingertips heating her skin, and another threaded through her hair.

Lily could barely think. He knew exactly what he was doing, lips and mouth leaving her breathless while his fingers created hot trails down her back, on her shoulders, spreading throughout her body. She shivered as his mouth left hers and wandered to her cheek, down to her shoulders, before returning. He pulled away, smiling, and she pulled back, breathless. He twisted so that he was facing her better, but didn't lean in again, so she stayed back, watching him carefully.

He pulled even farther away, and Lily could feel her heart sink a little bit, unsure of what had just happened. He wouldn't look her in the eye, and suddenly, she was worried that she had made a drastic mistake. "Evans - Lily, I… don't want…" He blew out his breath, reaching out to grab her hand. "I really like you Lily, and I don't want - that wasn't just for show, right?"

Lily laughed, feeling relieved. "James, we're hiding in your room. Who is here for us to show off for?"

James grinned, as if those words really had confirmed his feelings. He ran a hand through his already tousled hair, and Lily bit her lip just watching him do that. His eyes darkened, and his hot gaze made her pull him in again, harder this time, and with more confidence.

There was a knock at the door, and although they were still fully dressed, Lily's lipstick was smeared on James' cheek, and James' hair was more dishelved than usual, his tie now loose around his neck.

They pulled away, both grinning brightly and laughing, straightening themselves out as quickly as possible as James went to open the door. Euphemia was standing at the door, levitating a small tray of desserts with her wand. She walked in, sneaking a wink at Lily that made her blush furiously, and set them on a crowded desk.

"I hope you'll come back downstairs for a few more minutes, if you're up for it," She said, smiling brightly. Lily looked away momentarily, remembering the comments from earlier, but tried to keep a brave face. Euphemia raised an eyebrow, putting her hands on her hips. "Is everything alright?"

James glanced back at Lily from where he was leaning on the doorframe, but didn't say anything. Lily nodded, standing to join James. "Yeah, everything's good."

Euphemia stared her down, knowing that Lily was lying, but didn't press the subject, instead reaching over and pinching her cheek lightly. "Alright, now don't get into too much trouble up here, ok?"

James nodded, blushing as she left, and closed the door behind her. "We don't have to go down if you don't want to."

Lily grabbed his hand, squeezing it tightly. "I'm all good now. I think… I'm ready."

James kissed her forehead, and opened the door again. "Ok, but… let me know if you want to leave, alright?"

She squeezed his hand tightly, and pulled him through the door, stealing one more quick kiss.


End file.
